A strange man departs a ship and makes his way through the port. Not without going unnoticed by D’Artagnan. Then again by Athos and Porthos. Then D’Artagnan finds a seat at a table where Aramis is already seated. Clearly this conquistador-looking fellow is a person of interest. He may even be of interest to more than our Musketeers.

Shortly after attempting to woo the bar Maid, a woman with violent tendencies enters with the intent of killing this man. Presumably because he was hitting on the bar Maid. The Musketeers are forced into action prematurely as literally everyone in the bar seems hell-bent on being the man to harm this Emile. Once the situation is neutralized, woman included, right around the time Emile decides to thank the Musketeers, Athos informs him that he is being arrested and escorted to the King of France.

Upon agreeing to accompany them to Paris (decidedly having no interest in leaving in the custody of the two men in all black), he has one quick request.

Emile: Grant me one last favor before we go. A few moments alone with my wife.
D’Artagnan: You must think we’re stupid. (Looks around) Terribly sorry, apparently we are…
Athos: I must have your guarantee that you won’t try to escape.
Emile: You have my word on it. As a gentleman.

Faking a conjugal visit as diversion while Marie Bonnaire (wife) figures a secondary way out. Emile gets out through a window, slides down the roof and into a dilapidated carriage waiting. The driver ushers him in and they scamper away. Emile takes a moment to enjoy this maneuver. Then looks up in time to see Porthos looking right back at him.

Milady De Winter, the sultry mystery woman who seems at the Cardinal’s disposal, is a bigger piece than we are lead to believe. For starters, I seriously doubt her name is De Winter (though I could be wrong). More importantly, anyone familiar with the variations of the Musketeer story knows that there is always a mystery woman tied to Athos. So at the moment, she inquires about Athos’ present mission for the king, she suddenly has “personal business” to attend to. When asked if it relates to Athos, she confirms. If this is your first time with the Dumas story, I apologize if this gave anything away, but you were warned at the top of the page.

Meanwhile at Porthos’ side in the front of the carriage, Emile could not possibly try any harder to ‘charm and disarm’. Porthos as the good soldier is not so easily swayed. Emile goes on about some adventure, grabs a container holding a beverage and offers it to Porthos. He makes some claim about the regions of Africa and inquires as to if that is where Porthos’ lineage began. This is a curiously laid wrinkle. As myself and another colleague at NJATVS have discussed Porthos’ background if not heritage, which is which and the brilliance of the casting choice.

Porthos is usually depicted as a fat, drunk, womanizer. Think Gerard Depardieu from in Man in the Iron Mask. This is a more brave and realistic choice. This Porthos, regardless of lineage, is not only a historically realistic choice based on the time frame of this period piece but also adds a depth to the landscape. That combined with the writing he benefits from and the acting job delivered by Howard Charles and one strong point sticks out in my mind. The BBC America version of the Musketeer story has elevated Porthos and D’Artagnan above Athos and Aramis (for now), something I have never seen to this point. Porthos is a strong and honorable character, usually reserved for other characters.

This discussion of Porthos’ lineage opens up a detail that deep down I think most of us were waiting to be unearthed. And if we are to completely believe in the period piece that this is (1700’s) we’d be optimistically naive to think that the issue of slavery wouldn’t come up. Porthos’ mother spent her entire life from the age of 5 as a slave. Emile tries to keep it light by claiming that he knows many prosperous “once” slaves. Porthos has no such success story. It’s an awkward back and forth that is quelled by Emile when he says, “from the streets of Paris to the King’s elite regiment, quite a journey”.

Aramis comes galloping in to inform the rest that they are being followed by the two men “all in black”. They pull off ahead to rest the horses, planning to stay off the main path in order to lose their followers. Just then the ‘spidey-sense’ of the three original Musketeers is triggered. Something is wrong. The Musketeers circle back with swords drawn.

Aramis: Show yourselves and state your business!
Athos: That was very formal.
Aramis: I like to be polite.

A farmer’s army emerges from seemingly everywhere armed with axes, sticks and other such farm equipment. Expectation dictates that the Musketeers should deal with this quickly. Around the time you’re expecting it to draw to a close, Porthos take an ax to the shoulder. Just then Paul emerges. Paul is a business partner with Emile. He proclaims that he has business with Emile and they should turn him over. A stalemate that the business partner, Paul is sure to lose. But, there’s nothing wrong with a little beautifully written banter.

Athos: I sympathize with your grievances Monsieur. No doubt your partner is a cheat and a swindler. But we have a duty to deliver him safely to Paris. So you must wait, and seek justice there.
Paul: I’m not leaving without him.
Athos: That is unfortunate. Because neither are we.
… … …
Athos: I will inform the Cardinal of your claims against Bonnaire…
Paul: How do I know you won’t betray me?
Athos: I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.

Porthos writhing in pain, Aramis declares that he needs surgery as close to immediately as possible. In any other situation, they would do whatever is necessary to fix the immediate problem. However, Athos resists. Peculiar indeed, but there’s more to it than that. Athos is shaken or at the very least his head is elsewhere. It feels like we might just soon discover the connection between Athos and Milady De Winter and what it has to do with their geographic location.

We come across a very large very unoccupied house. Rural community notwithstanding, this is a house of means. Big doors with big rooms, all shut. As they open the house up, we see covered furniture. No one has been here for years. If you haven’t put the pieces together yet, the house belongs to Athos.

Aramis prepares to stitch the wound. He shows Emile his previous handiwork on Porthos. Then looks to Athos and in an official tone says, “Athos, if you could, prepare the patient.” Just like that, Athos punches Porthos in the face hard enough to knock him out cold.

Next is an unimpressive but necessary scene not without relevance. To sum it up, the King wants a navy he can’t afford and Emile has been establishing tobacco colonies and outfitting them with slave labor. An act that is very much not condoned by the King.

Flashback. Athos walks through is house reminiscing. We experience a relative dream sequence that reveals what we inferred two pages earlier. Athos was married. The wife was Milady De Winter (whether that’s her name or not). Athos did discover she was a criminal. Athos did order her to hang for her crimes. Athos does feel bad about it. One side note. Between the flashback sequences, Emile describes his retirement plan to the other Musketeers. The way he describes it and the manner in which he uses the term, “labor is cheap” tells me we are headed on a collision course that will make this very much a Porthos episode.

While the rest begin to stir and collect themselves for the day ahead, Emile is going over schematics. Porthos shows interest. There seems to be a genuine mutual admiration from both men. However, Emile is very guarded when it comes to those plans.

Just then, a horse and a limp rider approach, quickly. The rider is Marie Bonnaire (wife). She references the two men dressed “all in black” which recedes the guard of the Musketeers and the figurative jail break is on. Whether she mentioned the men in all black as a way to throw off the Musketeers scent or she actually saw them, she experience them intimately. Shot to the chest. Dead almost instantly. Emile makes his peace with it and bails, riding on while the man in all black stops to reload. D’Artagnan catches up shortly after Emile exhausts his horse.

Porthos stayed behind at the house when they chased after Emile and Marie. Emile really should have tried harder to get away. As he left his plans behind for Porthos to find. Porthos is furious. Any guesses as to why? Porthos proceeds to viciously beat the snot out of Emile (to keep this family friendly). It takes two of them to restrain him.

Porthos: Ask him about his cargo. Men, women and children. Stacked on the deck, like fish in the market. I envied him. Mostly about farming tobacco. Mostly how labor is cheap out there. It isn’t cheap labor out there is it? Its stolen labor. Stolen lives!
Emile: I am not a prejudiced man! This is business. Strictly business.
Porthos: The business of misery and suffering.
Athos: It is our duty to protect him.
Porthos: A turn a blind I to his crimes?
Athos: Slavery is cruel and disgusting, but… It’s not a crime.
Porthos: I heard stories about those ships as a child. Do you know why they’re shackled? So they can’t jump overboard. Because that’s better than watching your friends, your family, your children die of starvation and sickness and hopelessness.
Aramis: You’ll get your justice Porthos.
{following the commercial break as Emile digs his wife’s grave-skipping ahead slightly}
Porthos: Men are born free. No one has the right to make slave of them.
Emile: Yes, but the real world is not driven by the romantic notion of freedom is it? It’s driven by commerce. And I’m a traitor, that’s all. I deal in commodities.
Porthos: A man is not a commodity.

(Without question, this scene is the single best moment of the series to this point. Howard Charles is simply incredible with this performance. Believe me the text does not do it justice.)

D’Artagnan has spent most of this episode showing legitimate concern for Athos. Each time his efforts have been tossed aside. This time Athos informs D’Artagnan that he must stay behind while they go ahead. Athos ventures into the village to seek out a man from the flashbacks. The man who actually executed that hanging of Athos’ wife. Athos finds him dead. Which is naturally followed by a nice emotion filled binge drinking episode. This show has done a remarkable job with pace. Giving us the details we’re waiting for just when we need them. Instead of dropping it all on us at once.

Athos wakes, still drunk, to find his house half a blaze. And the source of the fire still holding torch. Athos and De Winter face to face, running through the what and the how. With every intention of killing Athos, her plot is interrupted. D’Artagnan had no intention of letting “Athos handle his own affairs”. Athos, while his house burns, tells D’Artagnan everything.
As the group enters back into Paris, Emile demands he not be marched to the King on an ass.

Emile: I’m within my rights to demand a fresh set of clothes.
Porthos: What rights?
Emile: The rights of every man to seek fair treatment. Justice. Dignity. A little Dignity.
Aramis: You do know how ironic that sounds coming from a slave trader?

Emile is brought before the Cardinal. And then persuaded to articulate his plan to the Cardinal. As if his life depended on it. A short time later, he and the Cardinal strike a deal for Emile to continue his practices and branch out, under the employ of the Cardinal. This of course does not sit well with the Musketeers. Luckily for all interested, Athos followed one of the men in all black. Which must lead to something with 9 minutes left in the episode.

In a stroke of story-telling genius, the Musketeers devise a plan that punishes Emile Bonnaire without bring blame upon themselves. Satisfies the men in all black (the Spanish). Satisfies Paul the business partner and most importantly satisfies Porthos and the other Musketeers. To give any details beyond that would deprive you of the experience.

In a television landscape where TV falls short a great deal of the time, BBC captures another story beautifully. Tonight, I was able to see the story pick up speed. I’ve been interested since the pilot. This episode took it up a notch or two. Naturally any dramatic series success applied to a BBC show will draw comparisons to Sherlock. Which at the moment is not exactly fair. However, with each passing week The Musketeers is gaining ground.